Friday, August 31, 2012

Fitness Friday: How to Deadlift Correctly

Hold the barbell (or two dumbbells at your sides) close to your legs, almost touching them.

Keep your arms straight and knees slightly bent.

Slowly bend at your hip joint -- not your waist -- and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your back.

Keep your back straight; a good way to do that is to look forward, rather than at the ground. Keep your spine neutral with a natural low-back arch, shoulders down.

Squeeze your glutes to pull yourself up at a quicker pace than it took to bend down (Fitsugar recommends four seconds to bend down and two seconds to pull up). Don't use your back. Do not round your spine.

Using a weight that allows you to do three sets of 12-15 reps, keeping your form strong and correct through to the end.

Be sure to read the article, and not just because it concurs with what I have told clients for years: deadlifts are great for your core, glutes, posture... pretty much every muscle group.